Being Wise... taking in the wisdom across generations
by Christine, age 37
I would chat with Oizys. She is the goddess of distress, worry, and anxiety. Her Latin name is Miseria, from which the English word 'misery'. I would want to chat with her because I want to know why these seem to be the easiest emotions for us to feel.
For girls my age, the stress is on the SSAT's. No it's not the SAT's (those are college). The SSAT's are for girls and boys who want to get into private high schools. I am going to public school but my parents made me take it any way. Even though my parents kept on telling me not to stress out about it, how could I not? It's a huge test and I have to study for it and it's really hard!!! Stress is everywhere. It makes me have such bad neck pains that whenever I move my neck, it cracks. I'm sure that some adults could say the same thing but are they 13? Nope.
I believe Oizys would tell me one simple thing. It's all in your head. But what does that mean? It's different for everybody but the main idea here is that things aren't stressing you out, you're stressing yourself out. In other words, no one can stress you out, you can only let them and to be strong is wiping it off your shoulders and knowing that whatever happens, you'll be okay.
Some ideas on how to not stress out:
-Be sure you are giving yourself enough time to complete tasks
-Drink some soothing tea (It tastes REALLY good with a lot of honey :)
-Take a walk
-Do something you love
When I do these things, it helps me realize that no matter what pickle I'm in, it will pass over time and no matter what I will still have my family that loves me.
Christin, age 25, says:
There are two aspects of being a woman that feel powerful and special to me; our bodies and our ability to hold.
So, I took an online quiz to determine which Goddess I most embodied to figure out which goddess I should chat with. In the end, it was the goddess Artemis whom this online questionnaire associated me with. My first reaction was: What?! Artemis the Virgin? The homely older sister of Apollo who couldn't live up to the favored and far more popular War God? Give me a break. (This entire prelude, in and of itself, should illustrate my utter lack of familiarity with Femmergy!)
Admittedly, I had to read up on this archetype from numerous resources to create a complete characterization of who Artemis really is. What I discovered was, how we shall say this, she is Marvelous! She is the goddess of the hunt, of fertility, of the forest and mountains, the goddess of nature and the protectress.
I was hung up on her supposed 'virginity' and her solitude from other people because I was concerned that my destiny might entail hermit-hood. But then I read this - "Due to her well-integrated masculine energy and independence, Artemis does not possess much need for a man to complete her. Her awareness is focused." And then I realized that I TOTALLY want to be this woman! She is complete in herself. She is fulfilled by the elemental properties of our Earth. She is swift and powerful and compassionate.
I imagine that, if I were to walk in on her unexpectedly, she would be lounging in a loose tunic. Maybe sharpening an arrow head, or relaxing her tired muscles in a sulfur bath. She would be lean and toned and beautiful in the way of the Amazon warrior women. I imagine she would have a dog that would hear me coming before she did. And she would look up from her task to smile at me and say, "Welcome, my daughter." And I would probably giggle with absolute shyness and unease. But then she would touch my shoulder lightly and hold a gaze that demanded return. At that moment, I would recognize that her solitary nature provided her own special gateway to greater intimacy with others. I imagine she would feel this shift in my understanding, and she would tell me, "You need not fear loneliness, dear. You are always completely loved within yourself."
....see what I mean?? - Marvelous!
Katie, age 34, says:
I would sit down by the fire with Greek goddess Aphrodite, whose name is interchangeable with Venus, from Roman mythology. She is the goddess of love, sexuality, and beauty.
Aphrodite is known as the daughter of Heaven and Sea, the child of Uranus and Gaia. She was not conceived out of pleasure, but she cultivated it in her own life. Aphrodite did not have a childhood, but instead was born an adult possessing a powerful sexuality. She was forced to marry the ugly god of fire, Hephaestus, who controlled her. Aphrodite was fiercely independent, and she constantly sought freedom in the form of a new lover. She had many on her way to finding Ares, the god of war, who became her true love.
Astrologically speaking, I relate to Aphrodite. With my Sun in air sign Aquarius, my moon in water sign Scorpio, and my Rising in air sign Libra, I am a living blend of heaven and the sea. My Venus and Mars are in Capricorn and Taurus. The combination of these earth signs with my Scorpio moon preoccupies me with love and engenders a powerful sexuality. Or so my astrologer tells me.
My astrologer is right. I am endlessly fascinated by love, and my intimate relationships are fueled by passion. As a writer, my theme is the mystery of romantic love. For these reasons, Aphrodite would be my ideal partner for a fireside chat.
Throughout my dating life, I've allowed sexual desire to govern my choices with men. This in itself is not a bad thing; physical chemistry will always be an essential element of my intimate relationships. But I've taken it too far, by allowing attraction to blind me to the fact that other, equally important characteristics were missing from my connections with men. There were gaps in the areas of genuine love, mutual respect, and honesty.
Aphrodite led with passion and found love. By leaving her arranged marriage to Hephaestus, Aphrodite broke the chain that bound her. In our talk, she would insist that I guard my sexual power, that I don't ever abandon it for a "nice guy" who bores me. But she would also say I should never again let it chain me to someone not worthy of my love. I should use it to guide me to someone who respects my independence, genuinely loves me, and always tells me the truth.
Janet, age 52, says:
Athena is an armed Warrior Goddess, and appears in Greek mythology as a helper of many heroes. She also would come to be known as the Goddess of Wisdom. I have chosen Athena, a Goddess that I most resonate with...I have lived much of my life as a Warrior Goddess, both at work and home.
My question for Goddess Athena is this: "What did you do during those times Others were attacking, warring with You to hold Your Ground and stay in Your Truth?" Dearest Goddess Warrior Night Eagle Dancer (Janet) You have walked a similar path in your time, and each time you have felt that you lost your way and the days became the darkness of night and you felt as though You alone were standing in the war..."Where did You go to find Your Truth, Peace and Compassion?" Do you remember those long walks along the ocean, those moments of utter despair and intense agony that dared to suck you into the abyss of fear and pain? Those Journeys are what allowed you to go deep to find Your Inner Wisdom...the Knowing...the Trust...and the Love that binds Us All together.
It was in the darkest moments that the Greatest Wisdom was birthed...We Know that without the darkness and pain, we mere mortals have great difficulty mustering the courage and fortitude to risk all that we are, to Stand Strong and Tall in Our Infinite Wisdom and Truth. I do not dare to diminish the complexity and challenges that You face in this modern world of many non-believers and the unenlightened...however, it is those very people that fight us the most that allow us to grow and stand stronger in the Truth. It is that adversity and those challenges that put us to task...to propel us forward in the Quest of fully real-I-zing Your Greatest Gifts!
by Christine, age 37
Of course it would make sense that in the month we talk about YONI's that I would come upon the Goddess Persephone. For all of January, I've seemed obsessed with Red Tents and Moons (aka our menstrual cycles)... I've been questioning my own use of pills that regulate my hormones and chlorine-filled cotton bullets I use to pick up my monthly visitor. So no surprise that I literally opened up this book I have called "The Book of Goddesses" and there Persephone, was, staring directly at me.
A little background on our lady Persephone... she's the daughter of Demeter, whom she loved very much, but big bad Pluto came by and forced her to marry him. Although he loved her dearly, she never truly gave him her heart. And can you blame her? Brut! This life drama gave Persephone a reluctance to claim her own sexuality and an infatuation with pomegranates and the power of menstruation aka our Moons (a term my friend Tarja uses, and I'm sure Persephone would approve of, but that I still can't quite get out of my mouth).
Which leads me to what I want to ask this powerful Goddess: What is the deal with why women are so weirded out by their periods? Why do we try to hide them, suppress them and force our way through them? For goddess sake, Dr. Lissa Rankin told us she couldn't leave surgery to change her tampons - just bleed right through, seriously? Where are the Red Tents that used to be the place women could go for the few days they would bleed... where they'd hang out with the girls, sing songs, braid hair, generally RELAX? Why can't I refer to my period as "my moon" without squirming? Why when I got my period, did my mother simply say, "There's a box in the closet." No wonder so many of us over-achieving women have stuffed our YONI in the closet, right next to the 'feminine hygenine products!'
If I think about what Persephone would say, I imagine it would go something like this, "lf you want a Red Tent, build one, even if it's in your bedroom giving yourself the day off when you moon starts... If you don't want to say "my moon" don't, but for at least pick something other than "period," it sounds awful... and Take if from me, don't miss out on fully claiming your sexuality, not for your husband's sake, but for your own. There is nothing more powerful than a woman in her divine sexual power, fully centered in who and what she is, at this time, in this moment, in all of her beauty and love of self."
A little background on our lady Persephone... she's the daughter of Demeter, whom she loved very much, but big bad Pluto came by and forced her to marry him. Although he loved her dearly, she never truly gave him her heart. And can you blame her? Brut! This life drama gave Persephone a reluctance to claim her own sexuality and an infatuation with pomegranates and the power of menstruation aka our Moons (a term my friend Tarja uses, and I'm sure Persephone would approve of, but that I still can't quite get out of my mouth).
Which leads me to what I want to ask this powerful Goddess: What is the deal with why women are so weirded out by their periods? Why do we try to hide them, suppress them and force our way through them? For goddess sake, Dr. Lissa Rankin told us she couldn't leave surgery to change her tampons - just bleed right through, seriously? Where are the Red Tents that used to be the place women could go for the few days they would bleed... where they'd hang out with the girls, sing songs, braid hair, generally RELAX? Why can't I refer to my period as "my moon" without squirming? Why when I got my period, did my mother simply say, "There's a box in the closet." No wonder so many of us over-achieving women have stuffed our YONI in the closet, right next to the 'feminine hygenine products!'
If I think about what Persephone would say, I imagine it would go something like this, "lf you want a Red Tent, build one, even if it's in your bedroom giving yourself the day off when you moon starts... If you don't want to say "my moon" don't, but for at least pick something other than "period," it sounds awful... and Take if from me, don't miss out on fully claiming your sexuality, not for your husband's sake, but for your own. There is nothing more powerful than a woman in her divine sexual power, fully centered in who and what she is, at this time, in this moment, in all of her beauty and love of self."
Olive, age 13, says:
I would chat with Oizys. She is the goddess of distress, worry, and anxiety. Her Latin name is Miseria, from which the English word 'misery'. I would want to chat with her because I want to know why these seem to be the easiest emotions for us to feel.For girls my age, the stress is on the SSAT's. No it's not the SAT's (those are college). The SSAT's are for girls and boys who want to get into private high schools. I am going to public school but my parents made me take it any way. Even though my parents kept on telling me not to stress out about it, how could I not? It's a huge test and I have to study for it and it's really hard!!! Stress is everywhere. It makes me have such bad neck pains that whenever I move my neck, it cracks. I'm sure that some adults could say the same thing but are they 13? Nope.
I believe Oizys would tell me one simple thing. It's all in your head. But what does that mean? It's different for everybody but the main idea here is that things aren't stressing you out, you're stressing yourself out. In other words, no one can stress you out, you can only let them and to be strong is wiping it off your shoulders and knowing that whatever happens, you'll be okay.
Some ideas on how to not stress out:
-Be sure you are giving yourself enough time to complete tasks
-Drink some soothing tea (It tastes REALLY good with a lot of honey :)
-Take a walk
-Do something you love
When I do these things, it helps me realize that no matter what pickle I'm in, it will pass over time and no matter what I will still have my family that loves me.
Christin, age 25, says:
There are two aspects of being a woman that feel powerful and special to me; our bodies and our ability to hold. So, I took an online quiz to determine which Goddess I most embodied to figure out which goddess I should chat with. In the end, it was the goddess Artemis whom this online questionnaire associated me with. My first reaction was: What?! Artemis the Virgin? The homely older sister of Apollo who couldn't live up to the favored and far more popular War God? Give me a break. (This entire prelude, in and of itself, should illustrate my utter lack of familiarity with Femmergy!)
Admittedly, I had to read up on this archetype from numerous resources to create a complete characterization of who Artemis really is. What I discovered was, how we shall say this, she is Marvelous! She is the goddess of the hunt, of fertility, of the forest and mountains, the goddess of nature and the protectress.
I was hung up on her supposed 'virginity' and her solitude from other people because I was concerned that my destiny might entail hermit-hood. But then I read this - "Due to her well-integrated masculine energy and independence, Artemis does not possess much need for a man to complete her. Her awareness is focused." And then I realized that I TOTALLY want to be this woman! She is complete in herself. She is fulfilled by the elemental properties of our Earth. She is swift and powerful and compassionate.
I imagine that, if I were to walk in on her unexpectedly, she would be lounging in a loose tunic. Maybe sharpening an arrow head, or relaxing her tired muscles in a sulfur bath. She would be lean and toned and beautiful in the way of the Amazon warrior women. I imagine she would have a dog that would hear me coming before she did. And she would look up from her task to smile at me and say, "Welcome, my daughter." And I would probably giggle with absolute shyness and unease. But then she would touch my shoulder lightly and hold a gaze that demanded return. At that moment, I would recognize that her solitary nature provided her own special gateway to greater intimacy with others. I imagine she would feel this shift in my understanding, and she would tell me, "You need not fear loneliness, dear. You are always completely loved within yourself."
....see what I mean?? - Marvelous!
Katie, age 34, says:
I would sit down by the fire with Greek goddess Aphrodite, whose name is interchangeable with Venus, from Roman mythology. She is the goddess of love, sexuality, and beauty.
Aphrodite is known as the daughter of Heaven and Sea, the child of Uranus and Gaia. She was not conceived out of pleasure, but she cultivated it in her own life. Aphrodite did not have a childhood, but instead was born an adult possessing a powerful sexuality. She was forced to marry the ugly god of fire, Hephaestus, who controlled her. Aphrodite was fiercely independent, and she constantly sought freedom in the form of a new lover. She had many on her way to finding Ares, the god of war, who became her true love.
Astrologically speaking, I relate to Aphrodite. With my Sun in air sign Aquarius, my moon in water sign Scorpio, and my Rising in air sign Libra, I am a living blend of heaven and the sea. My Venus and Mars are in Capricorn and Taurus. The combination of these earth signs with my Scorpio moon preoccupies me with love and engenders a powerful sexuality. Or so my astrologer tells me.
My astrologer is right. I am endlessly fascinated by love, and my intimate relationships are fueled by passion. As a writer, my theme is the mystery of romantic love. For these reasons, Aphrodite would be my ideal partner for a fireside chat.
Throughout my dating life, I've allowed sexual desire to govern my choices with men. This in itself is not a bad thing; physical chemistry will always be an essential element of my intimate relationships. But I've taken it too far, by allowing attraction to blind me to the fact that other, equally important characteristics were missing from my connections with men. There were gaps in the areas of genuine love, mutual respect, and honesty.
Aphrodite led with passion and found love. By leaving her arranged marriage to Hephaestus, Aphrodite broke the chain that bound her. In our talk, she would insist that I guard my sexual power, that I don't ever abandon it for a "nice guy" who bores me. But she would also say I should never again let it chain me to someone not worthy of my love. I should use it to guide me to someone who respects my independence, genuinely loves me, and always tells me the truth.
Janet, age 52, says:
Athena is an armed Warrior Goddess, and appears in Greek mythology as a helper of many heroes. She also would come to be known as the Goddess of Wisdom. I have chosen Athena, a Goddess that I most resonate with...I have lived much of my life as a Warrior Goddess, both at work and home. My question for Goddess Athena is this: "What did you do during those times Others were attacking, warring with You to hold Your Ground and stay in Your Truth?" Dearest Goddess Warrior Night Eagle Dancer (Janet) You have walked a similar path in your time, and each time you have felt that you lost your way and the days became the darkness of night and you felt as though You alone were standing in the war..."Where did You go to find Your Truth, Peace and Compassion?" Do you remember those long walks along the ocean, those moments of utter despair and intense agony that dared to suck you into the abyss of fear and pain? Those Journeys are what allowed you to go deep to find Your Inner Wisdom...the Knowing...the Trust...and the Love that binds Us All together.
It was in the darkest moments that the Greatest Wisdom was birthed...We Know that without the darkness and pain, we mere mortals have great difficulty mustering the courage and fortitude to risk all that we are, to Stand Strong and Tall in Our Infinite Wisdom and Truth. I do not dare to diminish the complexity and challenges that You face in this modern world of many non-believers and the unenlightened...however, it is those very people that fight us the most that allow us to grow and stand stronger in the Truth. It is that adversity and those challenges that put us to task...to propel us forward in the Quest of fully real-I-zing Your Greatest Gifts!
